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Old 12-24-2010, 04:26 PM   #21
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Re: Penthouse roof coating

Herb,
Glad you are giving the product a try. The regular coating (non non-skid) still has some texture to it when you put it on. It really is not slippery at all. When you decide to do the top, I would start early. The heat will make it go off, so the cooler the smoother and better it looks. I liked putting the heavier coats on as it got a little warmer because you could go back with the second coat pretty quick.

I just climbed up and really examined the roof. No signs of any cracking or flaking.

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Old 12-24-2010, 06:53 PM   #22
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Re: Penthouse roof coating

Quote:
Originally Posted by SMBDAD
Herb,
Glad you are giving the product a try. The regular coating (non non-skid) still has some texture to it when you put it on. It really is not slippery at all. When you decide to do the top, I would start early. The heat will make it go off, so the cooler the smoother and better it looks. I liked putting the heavier coats on as it got a little warmer because you could go back with the second coat pretty quick.

I just climbed up and really examined the roof. No signs of any cracking or flaking.
Thanks for the update. I just need to build a temporary support for the solar panel so that when I remove the mounting bolts, I can support the panel in place, unless I am very, very surprised and find an electrical quick-disconnect for the solar panel.


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Old 12-25-2010, 03:32 PM   #23
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Re: Penthouse roof coating

This may stray a bit from your original post subject, but there are folks on this forum who could probably help with a quick disconnect design for solar panel system installation. I think that would be a great functional addition to this site for do-it-your-selfer types like you. It could even give incentive to the market - we need reduced cost retrofit capability and portability solutions. I did not get solar, and think it may be "eye candy" for those unscrupulous souls who steel or thrash and trash SMBs. I would consider purchasing it if I could put it in a suitcase and pack it back in the house when not using it on the van...
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Old 12-26-2010, 09:42 AM   #24
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Re: Penthouse roof coating

Quote:
Originally Posted by joey2cool
This may stray a bit from your original post subject, but there are folks on this forum who could probably help with a quick disconnect design for solar panel system installation. I think that would be a great functional addition to this site for do-it-your-selfer types like you. It could even give incentive to the market - we need reduced cost retrofit capability and portability solutions. I did not get solar, and think it may be "eye candy" for those unscrupulous souls who steel or thrash and trash SMBs. I would consider purchasing it if I could put it in a suitcase and pack it back in the house when not using it on the van...
In Alaska we met a couple in an SMB and they had a standalone solar panel. They set it up outside and pointed at the sun. It stored inside, behind the penthouse bed on the same tracks the bed sits on. They had a 30-40' cable so they could camp in shade and still get the panel into bright sunlight. It worked for them.

We purchased our van with the 'Solar Prep' package. Solar controller and wiring to a plug on the back of the van. It would have been easy to have a remote solar as the above mentioned couple had, but storage is always an issue in an SMB, so I added a solar panel to the roof.

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Old 12-28-2010, 07:18 AM   #25
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Re: Penthouse roof coating

Theadjacking, my favorite sport!

When SMB put my second battery in I had them "prewire for solar" which includes a quick connect plug:


Don't know if this is industry standard or an SMB thing. I'm sure the plug end is around here somewhere (!) for when I get around to buying solar panels.
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Old 09-16-2012, 05:35 PM   #26
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Re: Penthouse roof coating

Can SMBDAD or others provide some follow-up on this 2008 thread? (SMBDAD, how has the Chiri Enterprise Roof-it RV held up?) We have a 1991 Sportsmobile (Dodge Ram van) with a gel coat fiberglass roof on the penthouse. The penthouse roof shows signs of age -- some hairline cracks and algae or fungal discoloration (spots) -- see photos below.



The SMB service rep I talked to said this kind of damage is probably superficial and probably doesn't cause leaks, but we'd like to do something to improve the appearance of the top and probably prevent future problems.

We'd like a smooth coating that can easily be cleaned so we can keep fungi from establishing (we live in Oregon where it's very wet in winter).

We'd also like to apply the coating over the rusted bolts, to protect them from further deterioration. Taking apart the inside of the penthouse to remove and replace the bolts is too big a job for us.

I called two Sportsmobile offices and two different service reps had very different recommendations. One recommended "Kool-seal RV rubber roof coating" ("not the rubber roof patch," he said). I found it here: http://www.koolseal.com/product_detail. ... _id=63-900. However, when I called the Kool-seal company, the Kool-seal rep said I should NOT use the rubber roof coating because that's only for rubber roofs, not fiberglass surfaces. The Kool-seal rep recommended the standard Kool-Seal white elastomeric roof coating (http://www.koolseal.com/product_detail. ... _id=63-600) for fiberglass roofs.

The other SMB rep recommended professionally-applied clear coat automotive paint, which seems odd for a fiberglass roof, so I haven't pursued that.

The Chiri Enterprise Roof it-RV mentioned above in this thread (http://www.chirienterprise.com/Roof-It- ... It-RV.html) looks easy to apply and durable. I've ordered a sample but I'm nervous about applying it before I hear from other SMBers.

Can someone recommend a good product for a smooth, hard coating that we can apply to our aging fiberglass roof? Obviously we'd like something durable that won't flake or peel off.

Thanks!
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Old 09-16-2012, 08:08 PM   #27
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Re: Penthouse roof coating

Mine has held up super. Still solid and bright white. I cant believe more people have not tried. Looking at your top, I would sand down your rusted washers/ bolts and caulk them to fill in the large holes. I have considered using this product to coat my entire utility trailer instead of powder coat, it holds up that well.
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Old 09-16-2012, 08:41 PM   #28
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Re: Penthouse roof coating

The stuff I had SMB spray on my top (a common upgrade SMB adds as an option on new builds) has been fantastic. Even though it's semi-rough, it sprays off dirt very easy and has yet to fade or change color. But it is costly to have them do it (600.00+). I've read Line-X is a heavier product but have never confirmed that. A couple members here have done their tops themselves for a fraction of the price. Member Saline comes to mind. You can search his posts for the material he used. It also seems like what SMBDAD used is a good choice. If you really want it to go back stock you'll have to take it to a boat or fiberglass shop to take it back to the original gel coat finish...very expensive I would think.

Check your gutters for rust and stress cracks while you're at it.

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Old 06-06-2013, 03:56 PM   #29
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Re: Penthouse roof coating

Thanks much for your help, SMBDAD. It's summer again and time to get this job done.

You recommended I sand down the rusted bolts and washers and caulk to fill holes... Since they're rusted, I wonder if instead of sanding, whether I should try to replace any of the nuts and washers prior to applying the "Roof-it RV" coating? I'm thinking not -- nervous that if I try to remove the nuts, the bolt may shear due to the rust, and then I'd have major problems. (I really don't want to try to take out the ceiling from the inside of the van to get at the other end of the bolts, if they should break off.) Thoughts?

Also, do you recall how much you thinned the coating prior to application (e.g. about how much water in a gallon of the coating)? And did you use a brush, or a roller?

The owner of Chiri Enterprises, who makes/sells the Roof-It product, says no cleaning compound is needed, just sanding. You mentioned you cleaned the surface after sanding -- what did you use to clean it?

Thanks again!
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Old 06-06-2013, 04:16 PM   #30
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Re: Penthouse roof coating

SMBDAD hasn't been on the forum since last September. You may need to e-mail or PM him to get a response.


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